On this date:

In 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton of Georgia was sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In 1927, six miners died when state police fired on picketing strikers at the Columbine Mine in northern Colorado.

In 1942, the Alaska Highway formally opened.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon’s attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 181/2-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate.

In 1979, a mob attacked the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing two Americans.

In 1980, 87 people died in a fire at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.